The National team's exit in the group stages of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 should serve as an eye opener for the powers that be to look at the poor state of affairs in the country's football development.

In the name of preparations, the team had travelled almost half the globe but just managing to scrap through against Cambodia 3-2, lose 0-1 to Vietnam and 0-1 to Myanmar would certainly not justify the money spent for the trips or the wages of the coaches and support staff.

Even a coach with a 'C' licence can produce such results and later offer excuses like 'not enough time to prepare, players injured or players lack mental strength, etc.

Malaysia, after having reached the final in 2014, seems to have hit the downhill button since while minnows like Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines have managed to catch up.

The last time Malaysia were booted out in the group stages was in 2008 when the tournament was jointly hosted by Indonesia and Thailand.

Right from the opening match against Cambodia, there was no indication that Malaysia was going to be a title contender (had to come back from behind twice) against Cambodia to scrap through 3-2.

The 0-1 loss to Vietnam in the second match put a dent on hopes of making it to the semifinals but a win against Myanmar in their final group match would have earned a slot as the second best team in the group but the host had other ideas, snatching a late late winner and sent coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee and his boys home.

But honestly, the signs were already on the wall, just that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) did not notice or simply chose to ignore because out of nine friendly matches, the toothless tigers or "Harimau" managed only two wins, five draws and lost twice and that too against mediocre opponents.

With less than a year before Malaysia host the SEA Games, the FAM will have to do a lot of soul-searching to identify and rectify, especially so when the target is to win the gold medal.

For a start, Kim Swee can step down gracefully as the selection of players was his choice, the strategy, game plan or training was entire his responsibility, to say the least.

Maybe the FAM need to look at the issue at hand, from a holistic angle, including its policies and probably decide to engage a foreign coach because the 'local coach' approach seems to have failed.

It is not a question of credibility, calibre or performance of local coaches but the change in trend, even among fellow Asean countries like Myanmar, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Myanmar is trained German coach Gerd Zeise, Cambodia by Lee Tae Hoon (South Korea), Indonesia by Alfred Riedl (Austria) and the Philippines by Thomas Dooley from the United States.

Defending champion Thailand, however, are an exception to the foreign rule since the AFF Suzuki Cup squad is trained by former International Kiatisuk Senamuang, Singapore by former international V. Sundramoorthy and Vietnam by the country's former international Nguyen Huu Thang but assisted by Martin Forkei from Germany.

Apart from the team management, coach and support staff, the players too need to take a good look at themselves and judge their performances with a view for improvement or else Malaysian football will forever be doomed.

The other option, if all efforts fail, is to rope in Naturalised players because such a trend is not unheard of or new in sports.

Many countries have since roped in players with potential to represent their adopted country instead of their country of origin, especially in badminton and football.

Malaysia had given such status to diver Huang Qiang from China, weightlifter Hidayat Hamidon from Indonesia, Ukraine shooter Irina Maharani and walker Yuan Yufang from China. -- Bernama